In case you missed it, on our home page, we feature our current special. Just as it's a good idea to have an annual visit to your doctor to make sure we're doing well. So too do we recommend a yearly check-up for your car, truck or SUV. We aren't offering a free check-up to make us money or suggest a repair you don't need. This is our gift to you for the holidays - we're willing to spend our time to make sure everything is right for you. Whether you have a car that isn't driven a lot or it's the one you drive everyday, we will be happy to check it out for you.

Thank you for choosing to do business with us. We hope that you and your family have a happiest of Thanksgivings.

If you've never belonged to a car club, you are missing out on a lot of fun. There are clubs for so many different kinds of cars, probably one for the kind that you drive. Some clubs are specialized to a particular manufacturer/model (like Alfa Romeo, Corvette, BMW, Mustang, Jaguar, Mercedes, Porsche, to name a few) and some encompass automobile types for people who own or share an interest in muscle cars, vintage/collector cars, and British or European cars.

The point is, besides meeting new people, clubs can be a great way to learn more about a car you already own or see what kinds of cars other members have. Typically, they are social clubs. Some are more formal than others. Some charge a membership fee, some don't. Many have a monthly dinner meeting/get together and plan lunch and all-day (or overnight) driving trips on a Saturday to places like Prescott, Sedona or Flagstaff, or to see a natural wonder like Tonto Natural Bridge outside of Payson. They have newsletters, emails and magazines, holiday parties, participate in car shows, Indy 500 parties, chili cook-offs, charity events, and more. On many club websites, they have online stores to purchase all sorts of t-shirts, hats, key chains, photo books, posters, and coffee mugs, and classified ads for members who are trying to find their car a new home.

On the first Saturday of every month for example, there is a car show in the parking lot at The Shops at Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale called Cars & Coffee. It begins at 7 am and runs until 10 am. Especially as we get into the cooler months, it's advisable to get there early (or earlier). For more information, the official site can be found at https://carsandcoffee.com/clubs/scottsdale/ or search on "scottsdale cars and coffee." Whether you're part of a club are not, you can still go to show off your own "wheels," see lots of exotics and meet fellow car enthusiasts. It's a fun way to spend a Saturday morning and enjoy some coffee (bring your own or purchase at the center's restaurants).

If you're interested in joining a club, search online for a local or regional group. If you don't have any luck, then look for a national association.

Hope you have fun if you go!

Remember to think of us when your cars need attention - we're here to help.

Face it. Though temperatures for the next week are forecast to be mostly in the upper 80s, we all know that the 100s aren't far behind. When we're in our cars, most of us crank the a/c to keep us cool and comfortable. We do this for as much as 7 months every year - April through October here in Arizona.

Every vehicle has a cooling system. Basically, it is there to keep the engine cool (as cool as it can be, that is). When it's hot outside, the engine has to work even harder to do all of the things it needs to do (especially when the a/c is running full blast). If the system does develop a problem, it can cause the engine to overheat. What's the big deal there? Well, the overheating can result in damage to heads and head gaskets. When these parts crack, warp or break, it's not what you want to happen and it could lead to costly repairs.

So with the rising heat outside, there's no better time than the present to have your vehicle's cooling system inspected. Whether you can't remember when you last had it checked or you know that it's time to have it serviced, you'll save $50.00 with us through the end of May. It is less expensive to make sure you have the right amount of coolant, no leaks in the system, and no dried out hoses and/or belts, than it is to deal with major engine repairs.

Someone asked last month about the life of car batteries and how they are affected by temperatures so here's the scoop.

Yes, outside temperatures do impact battery life. If you've lived in other parts of the country where cooler climates prevail, you've probably noticed that batteries seem to last much longer. It's because our 4 to 6 months of 100 degrees places a big strain on the inner components. Is there anything you can do to combat that? Sad to say, the answer is no. The same holds true for all types of batteries (maintenance free or not).

If your battery does need to be 'jumped' then make sure that you drive it long enough to allow it to recharge (15 to 20 minutes would be appropriate). If you turn off the car and the battery won't get you going again, then it means that the battery isn't holding onto the charge (or the Alternator is culprit). You can always jump it again and drive on over to our shop. We'll check it out for you and let you know what's up!

We're long overdue writing a new blog/column so hope you'll forgive us for the delay.We've covered in a past post about the importance of taking care of your tires for ensuring continued performance and minimizing tread wear. One way you can do that is to have your tires regularly rotated. Even vehicles that aren't driven a lot should have the tires rotated and the air pressure checked. Especially with wide swings in temperatures, air can leak out of a tire even when a car is sitting for lengthy periods of time in a garage.Mostly, we wanted to thank you for doing business with us over the past year. We are most humbled. We appreciate too when you refer your friends, co-workers and family to us.Wishing you the best for the year ahead and happy travels.

We have a lot to be thankful for, most of all that you have come to rely on us to keep your cars, trucks and RVs running smoothly. We are offering a special for November - an oil change, 4-wheel alignment and comprehensive safety check, all for $49.95. Synthetic oil is available for an extra charge. Now's the time to have your vehicle serviced if you're traveling for the holiday. A lot of the roads in our state are remote and you certainly don't want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere. It's an easy thing to avoid with some preventive maintenance.

If you have a smartphone, iPad, tablet or other electronic device able to download apps, we would recommend that you download a free application called GasBuddy. It is available whether you have Android and Apple and it's FREE. We thought that everyone knew about this great app but it turned out not to be true so that is why we are writing about it now.What the application does is give you the prices of gas (regular, mid grade, premium and diesel) wherever you search. If you're home, you could search by your zip code or location. If you're on the road (or preparing for your trip), you can look up where you're going to find out what the prices are there. It's easy to download and sign up. With your location feature turned on, It will also let you know how far away the gas station is from where you are and provide directions if you need them.You can sort by Distance or Price. They even include Costco. Prices appear to be updated regularly so they are pretty reliable. The listing for each gas station also provides the phone number so you could always call them to verify the price.Please call us or stop by if we can be of assistance. Stay safe on the road.

Technology has come a long way over the past 30 years and many things have changed for the better. Indeed, our cars seem to run much more efficiently, get better gas mileage, and in some cases, can even help drivers to avoid accidents. One of the reasons for these improvements is that many aspects of our vehicles are now controlled by computers. In the future, cars will not only be parking themselves but perhaps even driving themselves as well. One thing that hasn't changed is that motor oil is still the lifeblood of the engine. It provides the lubrication necessary for all the parts to operate continuously and efficiently. Fortunately, oil has also benefited from improvements and that includes the introduction and now widespread use of synthetic oil. Synthetic oils do not break down the way that traditional motor oil does and they can withstand the high engine operating temperatures much better.So how often should you have your oil changed? The answer is that it depends. If your car still relies on traditional motor oil, then the recommendation is every 4,000 to 5,000 miles. With synthetic oils, the rule of thumb is every 5,000 to 7,000 miles. Depending on the number of miles driven, time wise should be around 6 months.Stop by our shop and we'll be glad to check it out for you. After all, it's all about keeping you on the road.

While fuel keeps the engine going, correctly inflated and properly balanced, rotated and aligned tires keep your car on the road. The problem is, we don't always check them as often as we should. Here are a few tips we'll pass along. First, while all tires have a pressure designation number (psi means pressure per square inch) on each tire, do not use that number as your guide. Instead, you will find it on the driver's door which is visible when you open the door. It's this information that is provided by your vehicle's manufacturer (not the tire manufacturer) that matters.When tires are not set to the right pressure, several things can be impacted. First, is the safety issue. No one wants to experience a tire blow-out when you're driving 65 miles an hour on the highway. Second, improperly inflated tires (with too little or too much air) can lower your gas mileage. And third, it will result in uneven tread wear and diminish the expected life of the tires. But there's more to tires than just air. Having your tires regularly rotated and balanced is what keeps them wearing evenly. Whenever you bring in your vehicle for an oil change, that's the time to have your tires inspected and rotated.The final issue to be concerned with when it comes to your tires is their alignment. The simple explanation is that they should be straight up and down. You generally can't tell that by just looking at them though. What you would notice is that while the steering wheel is straight when you're driving down the road, the car "drifts" to the left or to the right seemingly on its own. That's when an alignment should be performed.So get into the regular habit of measuring your tire pressure on all 4 tires (and don't forget to check your spare tire as well). Once a month is a good rule of thumb. If they need air, add it - don't delay. It's not worth it to take chances with your tires when it comes to your safety or your pocketbook.No matter what the issue is, we are there to help.Until next month, happy travels!

While slightly cooler temperatures (low 100s) are predicted for the coming week, between the heat, dust storms, high humidity and monsoon rains, our vehicles take a beating this time of year. It's no fun to get stuck on the road especially when there are so many remote roads and areas in our state. Between running the A/C with the fan on high and pushing the car to keep up the speed on the drive up the Rim, we expect a lot of our cars. Before you take that next trip, call us or stop on in and we'll check it out. Having peace of mind is priceless.